So, love is in the air!
Not just with Valentine’s Day this week, but we are busy planning our youngest daughter Emma’s wedding to her fiancee Guillermo. It is happening next month in Costa Rica, a very small wedding with just family, which is what Emma wanted.
Although we got an event planner, I’ve been helping Emma with the wedding. The dress, invites, welcome boxes, decor, flowers, food. Who knew there were so many choices when planning a wedding? Just the amount of chairs to choose from for the ceremony/cocktail/reception is overwhelming.
Emma was so overwhelmed by the choices to be made for the ceremony, that she came over on Valentine’s Day, so we could go over the 96 pages of options. Where she is getting married in Costa Rica is a very small town, so there was basically one officiant performing ceremonies and she had every collection of prayers known to man to choose from. Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish, Christian, Catholic, Apache, Cherokee, African, Celtic, New Age and more were available.
I started reading them out loud so Emma could choose. Which is how I found myself reading “Love is patient, love is kind,” on Valentine’s Day, which I found quite poetic. After a while, all the readings kind of ran together, so by the end we were both tired and my vocal chords strained, but we got it done and sent it to the officiant. It was due the next day!
Zeke and I decided to cook for each other on Valentines Day, since it’s so expensive to go out. He picked up a New York Strip steak from Josh’s Meats and I went to Trader Joe’s to get Lobster Ravioli. Warning: NEVER go to Trader Joe’s on Valentines Day! The flower section, in particular, was nuts and they didn’t even have the lobster ravioli I made a special trip for, so I got Truffle Mushroom Ravioli instead.
I sauteed mushrooms to give the Mushroom Ravioli a little pizazz and tossed it in truffle oil and butter, with chopped parsley and grated Parmesan on top. I chopped the romaine; Zeke made Caesar dressing and grated the Parmesan cheese. He also made a quick steak sauce with butter, garlic, worcestershire sauce and sherry and I made a little garlic bread toast, from a thin slice of leftover bread.
Everything turned out delicious and we read our Valentines cards from each other. Zeke’s to me was about thanks and appreciation for all I have done. He’d actually given me a beautiful pair of earrings for the wedding the day before. I was happy to see no funny cats or dogs on this card, because if you get those cards, romance has left the building, in my opinion. My card was equally mushy- “The man I fell in love with won my trust, my respect, and every bit of my heart”- so we were on the same page this year.
The New York Times had a cute section on Valentine’s Day where readers sent in what their partners do for them that made them feel loved. They were mostly little things like putting toothpaste on each other’s toothbrushes, turning on seat warmers in the car when it was cold, or holding hands when they went to sleep. I know a couple where the husband always brings the wife tea and breakfast to her in bed. Very romantic!
I was driving to class and trying to think what we do for each other, when Zeke called and told me he picked up the New York Times for me. He usually picks up the Food Section on Wednesdays because I get the NYT on my phone, but not the Food Section (that’s extra $). He knows I love to read this section for the recipes, food news and restaurant reviews, so he makes a special point to get it for me. “That’s what you do for me that’s sweet!” I said. “What?” he asked. “Get me the Food Section from the New York Times.”
As for me? I used to cut a lemon into wedges for him for his Ice Tea. He told me that’s how he knew I cared and that he appreciated this chore I do. When I looked into the fridge this Valentines Day there was one half of a lemon, half squeezed out, as this is what my husband has resorted to without lemon wedges at the ready. So, I sliced up a lemon and put the wedges in a little bowl in the fridge. I also made him Iced Tea, which I do a lot because he drinks a lot of Iced Tea.
As we get older, we realize that Valentine’s Day is just a day. Some cynics even say it was a day invented by the card companies and florists to make money. But, the point is, when you love somebody, it’s the little things you do for each other every day that are important, even more than the grand gestures. Roses, chocolates and jewelry are nice of course, but for me, the Food Section of the New York Times every Wednesday is even nicer.
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